ASSINIBOIA DOWNS
The Inside Track | Issue #38 | July 29, 2022
  • Open daily from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
  • VLTs, Race Carrels and Tables are sanitized between customer use.
In this edition . . .
  • What's happening at the Downs?
  • Manitoba Derby Doings
  • Family Fun Days are Back!
  • ASD Responds to LGCA Ruling
  • Manitoba Derby / Mandatory Payout!
  • Snapshot in Time - 1972 Derby
  • Partner Locations
  • Photo of the Week - Derby Belle
  • Queen’s Plate Update
  • Saratoga Race Declared No Contest
  • Carryover Watch
  • Bob: Manitoba Derby in Pictures
  • Upcoming Events
Do the Downs!
SPIN TO WIN THURSDAYS AND FRIDAYS IN THE CLUB WEST GAMING LOUNGE - Enter at the VLT cage every Thursday and Friday for a chance to spin the wheel for up to $100 cash! Draws will be made every 30 minutes starting at noon.
ASSINIBOIA DOWNS MANITOBA DERBY NIGHT - 3% cash back on all eligible racing from Assiniboia Downs on Monday, August 1. Minimum wagered $40. Maximum deposit $100. Wagers must be placed on HPIbet.com account to qualify. ($2.10 payoffs not included).
FREE ASD PROGRAMS ON PLAYER PORTAL - All the important information you need for Assiniboia Downs live racing is now in one place! Watch the live feed and ASD Live handicapping show in HD. Plus free online ASD programs, free Brisnet pps, jockey & trainer stats, photo finishes, jockey bios, expert tips from ASD, Canadian Thoroughbred and Horse Racing Nation. Bookmark this page and check back daily as programs and picks will be added as they are available.
FAN EDUCATION CENTRE - How do I place a bet? What do the odds mean? How do I read the information in the program? If you need answers to the questions above or any other racing questions be sure to stop by the Fan Education Centre on the main floor. Shannon and Brad are there to answer all your questions and maybe help you pick a winner! They can also show you how to open a free betting account at HPIbet.com.

The Fan Education Centre is open every race night from 6 p.m. to the end of racing.
CHASE THE ACE - Play Chase the Ace every live race night. Ace of Diamonds wins the $2,177 jackpot. Other prizes: Either Joker $100, any other card $25. Tickets are $5 and available at Guest Services from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The draw will be made at 9:30 p.m. Proceeds in support of Final Furlong. Manitoba Jockey Club license LGCA-5630-RF-34975.

Final Furlong is a Manitoba-based charity that helps find good homes for retired racehorses and pony horses. Visit them on Facebook @FinalFurlongCanada.
Presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
Monday, August 1
Racing starts at 7:30 p.m.

  • $100,000 Manitoba Derby for 3-year olds presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
  • $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile for 3-year-olds and upward
  • $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes for Fillies and Mares, 3-year-olds and upward
  • Mandatory payout of the ASD Jackpot Pick 5. The current jackpot is $515,683 and is expected to exceed $1 million.
  • $100,000 Guaranteed Pick 4
  • The national anthem performed by Winnipeg Jets' anthem singer Stacey Nattrass
  • Derby Sweepstakes. Win a $100 win wager on a Derby horse!
  • Family Fun! Bouncy castles, face painting and live entertainment for the kids from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
  • Special Derby history display by Track Historian Bob Gates
  • Free admission & free parking
FAMILY FUN FROM 6:30 P.M. - 9:30 P.M.! Mondays are Family Fun Days in August beginning on Monday, August 1 (Manitoba Derby Night) and continuing every Monday through to August 29. Free kids activities from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Bouncy castles, face painting and live kids entertainment. Racing starts at 7:30 p.m. Free admission and free parking.
Dining at ASD
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER & SNACKS
The Club West Dining Room is open daily at 10 a.m. until 1 a.m. for breakfast, lunch, dinner & snacks. Our menu includes favourites such as chicken wings, pizza, chipotle mozza burger (pictured), steak sandwich or bacon and eggs plus much more! See the full menu here.
RACE NIGHT PRIME RIB BUFFET
Enjoy our fabulous all-you-can-eat Prime Rib buffet every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during live racing! Buffet highlights include signature certified Angus prime rib of beef carvery, seafood table featuring jumbo shrimp and salmon, fresh salads and side dishes prepared with locally grown vegetables plus much more!

Complimentary programs and tip sheets are included and the table is yours for the evening. Adults - $47.95, Seniors (65+) - $44.95, Kids 12 & under - $27.95, Kids 5 & under - $14.95 Reservations are required. Call 204-885-3330.

RACE NIGHT PLAZA DINING
Looking for a more casual dining experience during racing? Tables on the plaza (with a view of the track) are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Choose from the Clubhouse a la carte Race Night Menu. The table is yours for the entire evening of racing. Minimum charge $20 per person.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY CHEF'S SPECIALS
Friday Top Sirloin Steak - $24.95 - 8 oz top Sirloin charbroiled and seasoned with our smoky dry rub. Served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday BBQ St. Louis Ribs - $24.95 - Smoky charbroiled ribs with our signature BBQ sauce. Served with vegetables and choice of mashed potatoes or french fries. Served from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Reservations are not required.
At The Post with G.S. Thompson
King Witt (#1) re-rallies under jockey Sheldon Chickeness to finish second to Mucho Express in the 5th race on Wednesday, July 20. (Jason Halstead photo)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada, July 27, 2022 - The Manitoba Jockey Club (M.J.C.), non-profit operators of Assiniboia Downs, today received the official determination (attached) of their regulator, the Liquor, Gaming & Cannabis Authority (L.G.C.A.) related to the race investigation request that was formally made by the M.J.C. about the running of Race 5 on July 20, 2022, specifically related to the actions of the jockey Sheldon Chickeness on horse #1 King Witt. Read full Press Release here.
Manitoba Derby Highlights Stellar Holiday Monday Card at ASD
Mandatory Payout Alert! Jackpot Pick 5 Carryover Could Go Over $1 Million
Prayforpeace is the 7/5 morning-line favourite for Monday's $100,000 Manitoba Derby. Shown here winning the Derby Trial with Antonio Whitehall in the saddle. (Jason Halstead photo)
The biggest live racing day of the year is upon us, and what a card Racing Secretary Dustin Davis has put together for us for the 74th running of the $100,000 Manitoba Derby on Monday, August 1.

Fields are packed with 63 horses on the card, which means bigger payouts across the board for those that can pick the winners, and of course YOU can! The eight-race card features three stakes including the first running of the $50,000 Harvey Warner Manitoba Mile, the $50,000 Escape Clause Stakes and $100,000 Manitoba Derby, which goes as the sixth race. And this Derby is a doozy!

Top north American trainer Robertino Diodoro saddles three of the eight entrants in this year’s Derby in an attempt to win Manitoba’s most prestigious race for the fourth time in six years. He’ll have to beat our best local stars to do it, and that includes three-time leading trainer Jerry Gourneau, who saddles two in the race including 7/5 morning-line favourite Prayforpeace. The latter is owned former race car driver Henry S. Witt, Jr. who has been the leading owner at Assiniboia Downs for the past five years.

Diodoro will also have to defeat local trainers Jennifer Jordan, Wendy Anderson, and Shelley Brown, the latter being the first female to ever lead the trainer standings here in 2012, and the only female trainer ever to win the title outright.

So two male trainers take on three female trainers in what should be a super-competitive race that is also the third leg of the 20-cent Jackpot Pick 5, which offers a mandatory payout on Monday with a carryover of $515,683 and a pool that could grow to over a million dollars! The guaranteed $100,000 Pick 4 pool is also expected to be huge on Monday, as large competitive fields offer a chance for big score.

The two horses to beat in this year’s Manitoba Derby appear to be favourite Prayforpeace and Red Knobs, but there’s a reason they run horse races. Meet the horses in the Derby Press Kit here. Pick a name, pick a colour, pick a number. It doesn’t matter on Derby Day. The louder you cheer the better it gets.

Win Baby Win!
Manitoba-bred Lady Cop (#4 inside), a 2-year-old filly by Vengeful Wildcat, wins the 33rd running of the $35,000 Debutante Stakes last Monday for trainer Mike Nault, breeder Dr. Betty Hughes and owners A2 Thoroughbreds and True North Thoroughbreds. Renaldo Cumberbatch in the saddle. Congratulations! (Jason Halstead photo)
A Snapshot in Time
By Track Historian Bob Gates
The Manitoba Derby is just around the corner and what possible tie-in could a pony horse named Bimbo have to the August 1st Derby. Well, Bimbo just happened to be the "bomb-proof" pony that took Northern Dancer’s son, Nice Dancer to the gate in the 1972 Derby. On that day Nice Dancer wired the field even though his jockey Bobby Stewart had a virus and was sporting a temperature of 102. I guess we’ll never know, but it sure seems like Bimbo did all he could to get his charge to the gate in good order. By the way Dancer’s victory was Bobby’s one and only win in the Manitoba Derby. (ASD Historical photo).
CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE TRACK TO WAGER?
Watch and wager at one of our partner locations:

  • Canad Inns Windsor Park - 1034 Elizabeth Road
  • Green Brier Inn - 1611 Main Street
  • Rookies at Central Hotel - 201 Melrose Avenue East
  • Quest Inn - 367 Ellice Avenue
  • McPhillips Station Casino - 484 McPhillips Street
  • Club Regent Casino - 1425 Regent Ave W
  • Nor-Villa Motor Hotel - 1763 Henderson Hwy
  • Wager 24/7 at HPIbet.com

OPENING SOON!
  • Club 3D - 3317 Portage Avenue
Photo of the Week
Derby Belle Francine Fournier smiles after completing the post position draw at the press conference for the 74th Manitoba Derby on Monday. Thank you Francine!
Do you have an interesting photo you would like showcased in an upcoming newsletter? Email us at [email protected].
In The News
Moira wows in the Woodbine Oaks while Rondure waits in the wings. Those are the top two 3-year-olds for the 163rd Queen's Plate.
Marine Stakes (G3) winner Rondure was chilling in his barn while Moira and Sir for Sure won Queen's Plate stepping-stone events on July 24. Will Rondure need a new jockey for the big race? (Michael Burns photo)
The dust has settled from the July 24 races at Woodbine, in particular the Plate Trial and Woodbine Oaks, and a clearer picture of the field for the August 21 Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most famous race, comes to light. More from Jennifer Morrison at the Canadian Thoroughbred here.
Malfunction with starting gate forces New York Racing Association to make ruling
The stretch run at Saratoga Race Course. (Coglianese Photos / Chelsea Durand)
It happens everywhere some day. The seventh race at Saratoga Race Course July 24 was declared a no contest by the stewards following a bizarre incident during the running of the 1 1/16-mile race on the inner turf. More from the Blood Horse here.
Carryover Watch
  • Assiniboia Downs (August 1) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover - $515,683
  • Del Mar (July 29) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover - $235,544
  • Parx (August 1) - Jackpot Pick 5 carryover $197,003
  • Sacramento (July 29) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover - $161,829
  • Gulfstream (July 29) - Jackpot Pick 6 carryover - $156,833
  • See all carryovers here.

MANDATORY PAYOUT ALERTS
Mohawk Park - Saturday, July 30 - The Jackpot Hi 5 will be paid out on Saturday, July 30. The current jackpot is $262,569 and will be frozen until mandatory payout day.

Assiniboia Downs - Monday, August 1 - The ASD Jackpot Pick 5 will be paid out on Monday, August 1st. The current carryover is $515,683. The ASD Jackpot Pick 5 pool is expected to exceed $1 million on mandatory payout day Monday. ASD is also offering a $100,000 Pick 4 guarantee.
Bob's Blog
by ASD Historian Bob Gates

Bob lost his pen again, so we have another photo array to enjoy! This time around our ASD historian presents the "Manitoba Derby in Pictures" dating back to 1960 when the Downs ran its first Derby. There’s also a bonus photo from 1930 that we’ll let Bob explain. Click here for Bob’s Manitoba Derby Picture Book.  
Upcoming events at ASD

  • Live Racing every Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday at 7:30 p.m
  • Manitoba Derby Night - Monday, August 1 - Post time: 7:30 p.m. Featuring the $100,000 Manitoba Derby presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries plus family fun for the kids. More info.
  • Holi Summer Fest - Saturday, August 6 - more info
  • Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament - Monday, August 8 - more info
  • Manitoba Night Market & Festival - Sunday, August 28 - more info
  • Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament - Monday, August 29 - more info
  • Las Vegas Challenge Handicapping Tournament - Monday, Sept. 26 - more info
Feedback
We would love to hear from you! Email your comments and/or suggestions to [email protected].
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